I propose a special tax on all abandoned buildings and plots of land waiting for "better times".
It seems that quite a few owners of abandoned buildings do not act in the spirit of good stewardship. At the moment, the law allows them to do so and does not encourage them to do anything with the abandoned property any sooner. A new tax would therefore be a new factor in the equation that would make things happen more quickly in the economic sphere, as well as in the residential sphere.
At the same time, I also propose that these properties be labelled in a similar way to the way that properties under construction are labelled. A plaque would indicate the owner and the status or vision of the building; whether it is for sale or undergoing some other process. The sign, although primitive in its basis, often opens up additional possibilities as buyers or those interested in renting are often from the surrounding area.
A time limit should also be set for the property. After this time, the property should be put up for auction, the costs of the procedure deducted and the difference handed over to the owner. Most owners will not want this and will put the property into an active state before the expiry of this time limit.
To avoid the abuses we have heard about in the case of foreclosed properties, this should be regulated centrally under the auspices of the State and auctions should be held exclusively on the Internet, where all interested parties have access.
If the property is not abandoned but merely neglected because it represents a greater burden for the owner than he can chew, the property should be regulated along Swiss lines; at the expense of the State, which then registers itself as a co-owner of the property. Or a luxury tax, which the owner of such a property pays to the local community in return for the neglected image with which it tarnishes the image of the place.